The #TurnItUp campaign works towards an equal, fair, and green Europe

The #TurnItUp campaign, started by Amnesty International, encourages people across Europe to speak up and advocate for an inclusive and fair Europe, as well as a Europe with a strong green initiative. The plague of hate speech, racism, and xenophobia is spreading rapidly throughout European politics, and the #TurnItUp campaign is working towards eliminating these political mentalities of hatred.

Loan Torondel, the Head of Operations for L’Auberge des Migrants, participated in the #TurnItUp campaign by sharing some of the atrocities committed by French police officers that he witnessed while working at a refugee camp in Calais. In an interview with Amnesty International, Torondel emphasizes how important it is for Europeans to speak up before the European elections so that there would be potential for the EU to create an improved asylum system and possibly to resume rescue operations for migrants trying to come to Europe, such as the Mare Nostrum rescue mission.

With the rise of a number of far-right political parties in Europe, including the AfD in Germany and VOX in Spain, Europe is slowly becoming a more socially conservative continent. These extreme rightest groups are spreading their hate while creating policies that are impoverishing people and destroying the environment. #TurnItUp wants to stop the spread of animosity. While doing so, they abide by a list of five demands:

• A life free of hatred, violence, and oppression.
• The ability to be able to afford to live comfortably without having to leave anyone behind.
• Freedom of speech, freedom to protest without being scared, freedom on social media, and justice in the court of law.
• Europe as a welcoming place where people who cannot return to their home country, due to persecution, poverty, and war, can live freely.
• Protect the environment as well as humans all over the world.

With a clear focus on engaging young people, the #TurnItUp campaign ultimately wants equality in every facet of European society. Through their hashtag on social media, awareness about the current political situation in Europe is being spread, especially towards young people, who are beginning to speak up about all of the injustices currently taking place across Europe.